Feeding milk to your baby directly from your breast is not only a joyful experience but also a healthy and essential practice for both the mother and the baby. Professional medical societies in fact recommend exclusive breast-feeding (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months and thereafter along with introduction of other foods through the baby’s first year of life.
Breast-mild contains all the essential nutrients including the vitamins, sugars (carbohydrate) and proteins which are better absorbed than from the formula milk. Moreover, breast milk contains antibodies against micro-organisms that help the baby fight against different viral and bacterial infections. Breastfeeding also decreases the chances of allergic disorders such as eczema, rhinitis and asthma. There is also some evidence to suggest that breast-fed babies are more likely to have greater intelligence in later childhood. The physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye- contact help better bonding with the child.
Besides the benefits to the baby, the joy of motherhood and bonding, breastfeeding is good for the mother who burns extra calories which help her lose pregnancy weight. It also reduces the chances of uterine bleeding after birth. Incidence of osteoporosis (bone loss), breast and ovarian cancers reported to be lower in women who had breast-fed their children.
Feeding mother have multiple questions and quarries in their minds: Which is the best position and technique to feed? How often and how long to feed? Does my child get enough milk to fulfil the needs? When am I ready to give the next feed? How frequently to feed at night? and many more…….
Breastfeeding
In addition, a mother may also face challenges of medial issues, nipple pain, mental adjustment, loss of bodily autonomy and fear of disfigurement later in life. Local problems with the nipples include soreness, dry, cracked or Inverted nipples. Breast engorgement due to blocked ducts, mastitis, stress and anxiety are other common problems.
Lack of social support, work pressure and uneven distribution of parenting work add to the problems faced by a mother. The general questions on feeding usually require careful handling and advice from a qualified and experienced doctor. Most of the medical problems require individualized solutions with the help of a good counsellor. Help may also be required from a specialist doctor or an obstetrician. Some nursing homes run informative training sessions such as Nurture in Chandigarh aimed at pregnancy and labour preparedness including child-bearing and breast-feeding.
